


you'll never be forgiven (till your boys are too)

by orphan_account



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, Gen, Past Talia al Ghul/Bruce Wayne, Salt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:35:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Bruce visits the Kents and can't help but draw comparisons to his own family.
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent/Lois Lane
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	you'll never be forgiven (till your boys are too)

**Author's Note:**

> This has been in my drafts for too long. The fic references Batman: Son of the Demon, but you don't need to have read it. Qayin is the name of the villain in it. Bruce and Talia being married is canon, and she lies to him about having a miscarriage so he would focus on helping Ra's, but gives birth to Damian anyways. In this house we do not respect Grant Morrison, because he is a fucking hack.
> 
> I have edited it the best I can, but if there are any typos, feel free to point them out.
> 
> Enjoy!

The sun is just about to set as Batman and Superman finished up their case. They wait in a dark space between two buildings and oversee the criminals being taken in by the authorities. After it's over, Clark suggests they change clothes.

"I should go back. I don't have a spare change of clothes," Batman says.

"Oh, come on Bruce, I can get us clothes. Then come visit. Stay for dinner and the night. You can leave tomorrow," Clark says. 

"No, I-" 

Before Batman can finish it, Superman is back with two sets of shirts and pants and is pushing one in Batman's hands.

"Ma has been dying to see you," he informs Batman, already shuffling out of his suit, which bends and molds as Superman wishes. "Besides, I can stash your suit in the Batwing. I already know it's in camouflage mode."

"Clark," Bruce says. "This is a family night. I know everyone is over. I don't want to intrude."

"Oh, shut up," Clark rolls his eyes. "I already said- Ma's expecting you. You already know Lois and Kara. Kon and Jon are best friends with your kids. We're basically family!"

"Alright- If you're sure," Bruce gives. Clark grins.

_________________

Dinner at the Kents' is... well, it's the most picturesque thing Bruce has ever seen in his life, and he's been everywhere on Earth. As they start approaching the house, Clark visibly brightens and suddenly, he chuckles a little. Bruce raises an eyebrow.

"Kara is home," he explains. As they walk towards the porch and past the white picket fence- a literal white picket fence- , Bruce can already hear people talking, the occasional shout- signs of any family getting together for dinner on an evening. When they enter, Kara is running after a giggling Jon, and tackles him to floor and begins tickling the breathless boy. Bruce is surprised they aren't using super speed.

In the kitchen, something delicious cooks over the stove and Martha Kent hums as she stirs it. Conner sits at the kitchen table with homework.

"Lois!" he yells, "You promised me help with the English homework!"

"Be there in a sec, sweetie!" Lois yells back from somewhere inside.

"Oh, hi," Conner says to Clark and Bruce. Martha turns and smiles.

"Bruce, you came!" She moves to hug him.

"Well, Clark mentioned you'd be cooking and then how could I say no?" Bruce returns her hug with all his natural charm. She smacks him lightly on the arm.

"Stop it, you!"

"Sorry I didn't bring anything," Bruce says sincerely, then glares at Clark. "If someone had told me in advance..."

Clark grins, albeit sheepishly. Just then, Lois enters the kitchen. 

"Oh, hi Bruce," she smiles, which Bruce returns. 

"Hi."

She gravitates naturally towards Clark and kisses him.

"Ew, gross!" Jon yells, entering the kitchen on the shoulders of Kara, who also says hi to Bruce.

"Hey uncle Bruce!" Jon says, just as energetically as when he was running. "Why didn't you bring Damian?"

"He has homework, and patrol," Bruce replies. He can't process the noisy household. So much going on. Yet, no one shows signs of not wanting him there in their body language. Bruce settles on the table opposite Conner, who s expectantly waiting for Lois, who chats with Kara.

"Anything I do to help with that?" Bruce asks him, nodding at his homework.

"Oh, well- there were a few passages I'm not really getting but- I mean you can take a look," Conner says. Then adds, "It's like our little tradition." 

Bruce, who is reading a highlighted passage upside down, looks up. He gets what Conner means. The homework isn't the point- the bonding with Lois, who he looks up to, is. In any way, Conner's face is blank and he seems to be studying Bruce in an almost accusatory way. Bruce doesn't know the kid much, except that he's Tim's best friend. Bruce tries to study him right back, but can't. The boy sits in perfect posture and doesn't move at all. Superpowers are annoying sometimes. Deciding it was just teen behavior- maybe he's trying to match him to whatever description Tim had given him- Bruce turns his eyes to the kitchen, where Ma Kent has ordered Clark to peel potatoes and he diligently does so in super speed.

"Still gets my hands sticky," he says grinning.

"Bring super powered isn't gonna save you from the potatoes," Lois puts in mildly, finally coming over to sit beside Conner, and offers Bruce a dry smile. He doesn't why for a few seconds until he realizes it's because they (and Martha) are the only non powered people in the house. Then she orders Jon to go get his homework too, and the kids sit at the table doing homework under Lois' keen eye, while Clark helps with the cooking and Kara taste tests everything multiple times.

"What did I say, Kara," Martha tuts at her suddenly.

"How'd you know, I used super speed," she complains. Martha smiles.

"Years of experience," she says. "A mother always knows."

"Aw, come on Ma," Clark says, with full accent and everything. That earns him a laugh from the room and a light smack on the shoulder from Martha. Bruce gets up, smiling politely himself.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asks. "You know you can ask me to do any work when I'm here."

"Oh, Clark has this covered, dear," she replies with a smile. Bruce sits back down. Jon and Conner bicker over something superhero related.

"Boys," she says, warningly. "Get back to your homework."

Kara hums a song, peeking into Jon's notebook sometimes.

Bruce takes out his phone, since everyone is doing something and he has nothing to do. His notifications hold patrol reports from almost everyone except Kate who fills hers herself, and Jason who has left him on read again. Nothing else. They don't have a family group chat. At least one that includes him.

When it's time for dinner, the homework is done and everyone sits together at the dining table.

"So how was your week?" Clark asks, mainly to Conner.

"Ugh, so bad," he groans. "Things kept coming up everyday. It's why I was behind on homework. And no one asked me to prom. And I got kicked off the soccer team." He pushes his food around, looking especially sullen about that.

"Why don't _you_ just ask someone," Jon says, rolling his eyes. "All the girls at school kept asking Damian to the Winter Dance, but he turned everyone down because he didn't wanna go. He ended up going with me and Colin. None of us had partners to dance, but Colin and I group danced and we even got Damian to dance."

"Breathe, Jon," Kara laughs.

"And stop putting your peas in my plate," Lois remarks. Jon flushes brightly and looks embarrassed at being caught so easily.

"I'll come with you to school on Monday," Clark says. "We'll get you back on the team, kid. And we'll get you a cover up for whatever Superboy had to deal with too." Conner brightens.

"I'll go too," Lois adds. 

"Really?! Thank you so much M- uh Lois. And Clark."

Lois exchanges a smile with Clark. Conner clearly thinks of them as parents.

"Of course they'll go, dear," Ma Kent says with a shine in her eyes. "It's what parents of you super kids have to do."

Bruce suddenly can't stop thinking about his empty notifications. He didn't know about Damian what Clark knew about Jon. That even Damian had gone to a "Winter Dance" was news to him. He doesn't know how Tim, Cass and Duke are doing at school. Well, they just prepare for their online schools or GEDs anyways. Dick comes by less and less. He doesn't even see Jason more than once or twice a month. His family is broken. And it's his fault.

"Say, Bruce- how did Tim's project turn out? He was pretty stressed about it on the group chat." Conner is once again studying Bruce. Bruce's heart rate stays completely normal as he lies through his teeth.

"It went well."

"Huh," is all Conner says, and Bruce realizes his mistake. Conner might've just been playing with him- maybe Tim didn't have a project at all. He should've said something like he was yet to ask the boy- but he'd panicked and fucked it up. He could see the meaning of Conner's accusatory and searching looks now. He thought Bruce was neglecting his children. And he wasn't wrong. The mood at the table was suddenly tense.

"Anyways, how is Dick doing? I haven't heard from him in ages," Clark says, obviously trying to dissuade whatever tension he feels is brewing.

"He's good- not a lot going on in Bludhaven. Says he misses you all the time," Bruce replies. Clark smiles ruefully.

"I'll pay him a visit one of these days," he says. Then starts narrating an anecdote from work. The table is laughing in moments. Even Bruce cracks a laugh.

"Whoa," Jon said, looking at him in wonder. "Dad, look, Batman's laughing!"

Bruce chuckles at that, even if his mind is still in other places. "I'm only human, kiddo."

Everyone loves Jon. He's such a bright child. Even Conner seemed to adore him, when he had every reason to be jealous. That... that couldn't be innate. It was encouraged. By Martha. By Clark. By Lois. Children had to be taught to love each other, in cases like theirs. Like the children in Bruce's family who barely got on and tried to main each other at every turn. Hurt children. 

He just can't help but compare it to his own lot. Jason barely tolerates anyone. Dick tries to please everyone and beats himself up when he fails. Cass got on okay with everyone, but only stuck Stephanie and Barbara. Duke, surprisingly, is really good friends with Jason. Bruce had never discouraged it, it was just surprising. And Jason stepped into the older brother role like it was made for him. Tim got on fine with almost everyone except Damian, and he couldn't blame him. Damian made it a point to pepper in that he was a "blood son", a real son. 

Bruce wondered if it made the others feel unworthy as his children.

He'd tried to talk to him, but decided it was just not worth it but now... he was getting stark reminders of how unhealthy his family's relationships with each other were. Lack of communication from everyone except Alfred, neglect on his part. Last time Dick visited Gotham, he stayed at Tim's place. Bruce had thought he wanted to spend time with Tim but now he couldn't help but feel if it was because he didn't feel as welcome to the Manor. Even Cassandra mostly went to the Clocktower post missions instead of the Cave. 

When dinner is over, Bruce tells everyone he's taking a walk and goes over to the Kents' barn, holding his hand against the side and leaning on it heavily. Had he ruined his family when he couldv'e had this? He can picture it clearly. All the children living in the Manor, Dick visiting every weekend, Jason, Cass and Tim going to college properly with Stephanie. Duke and Damian to school. Having dinners like these, around the big table in the dining room, coaxing Alfred to sit with them. Jason and Cass would help with the cooking and the others wouldn't be allowed in. Going to patrol together. It isn't his life and he's the only reason why. 

His heart rate has picked up slightly. Nothing a little walking couldn't explain for a normal human, but he's Batman. Clark can probably hear him. Sure enough, a few moments later he hears footsteps.

"Hey," Clark says. "We're having ice cream and drinks in a bit. You okay?" He asks. Bruce lets his arm drop.

"Yes, it's all good. I'll be right there."

"You know," Clark says slowly. "The kids and Kara- I asked them not to listen. You have my word. If there's anything on your mind..."

Bruce knows Clark would never lie to him about something like that. Jon and Kara wouldn't question it, even. But he wasn't sure Conner wouldn't listen. The boy _was_ a teenager.

"I've had a talk with Kon, if that's what you're wondering," Clark says, as if reading his thoughts. Bruce sighs quietly.

"It's nothing," he says. "Just that- I've missed out on a lot in life, for the mission." There was time when Bruce wouldn't even have considered saying something like this to Clark. But he knew Clark. Had known him for decades. The last person to gossip, or take advantage of this was Clark. The man in question paused, then sat down on the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest. Bruce followed suit after a moment, letting his legs lay in front of him, his fingers digging in the loose soil on top of the hard packed dirt.

"They do love you- your children. Even Jason," Clark says finally. "And marriage isn't the final word in family."

"I know," Bruce whispers, a little broken. "Doesn't mean I didn't make mistakes. Big mistakes."

Clark turns to him, a little troubled. "None of us are perfect."

He means it. He truly does. But if there were a perfect family you could have while being a superhero, it would be Clark's. 

"I fucked up," Bruce says bleakly. "And don't say we all make mistakes- I know that. But I haven't been trying, have I?"

"Bruce..." Clark looks properly worried now. "I don't know what to say- I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." Bruce traces a mindless pattern in the soil and looks up the moon. "I don't know what I want to hear either."

Then Clark chuckles and they're both laughing, suddenly. After a while, the low laughter dies down and they're quiet again, but it's comfortable this time.

"I used to be married to Talia," Bruce says. "Probably still am- I don't know. I don't know if Ra's had documents made." He doesn't even have to turn to see Clark's jaw hanging open. He makes a little choked sound of shock.

"W-What?!" Clark says. This is clearly news to him. Bruce turns somber. He knows it doesn't seem his fault, but... he's still the world's best detective. He shouldn't have missed out on his child. He should still have stayed with Talia. Maybe taken her somewhere safe even after the whole Qayin fiasco. And then it would be apparent she hadn't lost the baby. It was his fault in the end, for not trying. For reading into people's motives but taking their emotions at face level. 

"It's fine," Bruce ground out. "Really. We should get back to the drinks and ice cream."

He gets up and leaves Clark gaping in the dirt. He's amazed why people still think he never had any domestic inclinations. It's a weird thought. Raising Damian with Talia. Talia helping raise the kids. Maybe that would keep him more grounded to the daylight side of his life, having a textbook definition of a family. A wife. The children they had together. He hasn't thought about Talia like that in a long time. He stops his thoughts before they become something permanent. Like Clark said- marriage isn't the final word in family.

The flight home next day is tiring. For one, he's piloting and there's a dull ache in his stomach fully credited to him not being able to say no to Martha Kent's cooking. Alfred is waiting with Lavender Tea by the time he showers and changes.

"Will you prefer the coffee to the tea again, Master Bruce?" he asks, and maybe it was the Kents' casual affection rubbing off of him but Bruce almost hugs him. Alfred is the one thing that hasn't changed, over the years. The one person who put up with everything and still hopes he will take stress reducing tea instead of coffee.

"I- think the tea is good," Bruce says. "I'll actually take it in the parlor."

Alfred looks confused, but in a positive way- and he isn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to Bruce. "Certainly, sir. Would you like a small snack?"

"Maybe the digestive biscuits," Bruce says. "Over-ate in Smallville."

Alfred has a small smile on his face, which means he's practically beaming. 

"Where is Damian?" Bruce asks, once done with his tea. 

"In school, sir. I will be leaving to pick him up in an hour."

"How about I pick him up today, and you take the evening off?" Bruce offers. Alfred looks absolutely conflicted.

"You can certainly pick up Master Damian, but I could hardly-"

"Alfred," he interrupts. "It's okay. I'll manage for an evening." It takes a bit more convincing, but Alfred finally agrees. When Damian sees him waiting for him, he practically melts with happiness. Part of Bruce is sad to see that doing the bare minimum made his child almost ecstatic, but he promises to do better from now on. He knows he can do it. One day at a time.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a kudos/comment if you liked! My [tumblr](www.brucie.tumblr.com).


End file.
